"J.Lo"....Is anyone else fed up? I now have a newfound respect for Gloria Estefan (1 Viewer)

Even though I have never been a fan of Latin music (which my wife loves), it has taken me several years to see that w/ Gloria Estefan, it was all about the music. "J. Lo" is no musician. She is a commercialized product that makes money from people's fascination w/ her big posterior. She can't sing, and she can't act. I put her on the same level as Destiny's Child - a passing phase that will hopefully be over w/ soon. I am so sick of seeing her name and face plastered everywhere, and all of the senseless hype surrounding everything that if my wife ever sways my interest to Latin music, I will take my time to explore everything about Gloria Estefan - who I consider to be the real queen of Latin pop music.

This post could have just as easily been about the vast majority of the musicians on the Billboard chart.

She can't sing, but she can act. She's one of my favorite actresses, an underappreciated talent in spite of her success.

Her music is blah, but what it has to do with latin music is beyond me. It sounds like every other crappy pop/r&b out there.

/Mike

Unfortunately, the quality of current pop stars' music leaves a lot to be desired. I go into Best Buy and walk by the wall of current popular titles, and it sickens me to see the state of music. Aaron Carter looks like he is 13, and he has CDs plastered all over stores. It's really, really sad. It's time for the record labels to stop blaming CD recorders and MP3s as the only reasons why CD sales are down. The record labels are putting out far too much crap. Just my opinion.

Lopez (I refuse to use that horrid nickname) is actually a decent actress. Not great, not bad.

Most importantly, I think she really is gorgeous, possibly the sexiest celebrity around.

Musically, yeah, she stinks, but no more or less so than the scores of other pop tarts floating around out there.

Lopez' success is based on a very interesting phenomenon: the celebration of mediocrity. The difference between her and other celebrities is that she has managed to excel at being mediocre in many different ways. An average actress, a barely passable singer when the proper studio vocal enhancement techniques are applied, and a poor dancer from which her wonderful figure distracts us, surrounded by song writers and an entourage that keep her entrenched in the grey world of shallow success and vapid dullness. She even comes complete with a musically insulting boyfriend whose Big Criminal Act was, well, mediocre (a gun at a nightclub? lame).

The only reason her music is considered Latin is because she is of Latin heritage, not because of the music. It's the same like other pop singers- if you're white, you're "pop," but if you're black, you're "R&B," a term that has lost all its meaning anyway.

Feh, pop music, who needs it.

I actually liked Destiny's Child.

I fell for her in "Out of Sight", and thought she was great. She has likable a persona. Likable people singing simple music has always been popular and always will be. I don't buy it, but it doesn't make me sick or anything.

Jennifer Lopez sings and happens to be latino. I'd hardly say she's a latin musician. The latin influence is stronger in Estefan's music, but again, calling her the "Queen of Latin Pop Music" is a label that would only be applied by an English speaking audience. The 'Crossover Queen of Latin Pop Music' would be more accurate.

As an actor, she reminds me of another underrated actor: Sandra Bullock.

/Mike

Im not a fan of the word underrated. In Hollywood, even a modicum of celebrity is hyped up. If an actor/actress doesn't get good critical review, and doesn't get a lot of work, they most likely suck.

outside said:

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That's silly. Make up your mind. Either they're "celebrities" and they're hyped up, or no one's ever heard of them and they suck. At what point in, say, Meryl Streep's career did she cross the line from being a sucky unknown to a hyped up celebrity?
Anyway, what you just said has nothing to do with Jennifer Lopez. She was critically well-received in her very first acting role ("My Family") and has generally gotten good reviews for all her roles, even if the movies themselves weren't that great. Plus, she's worked in movies steadily.
Lopez may have appeared in some dogs (the horrid Wedding Planner comes to mind) but she's appealing in everything she does and she absolutely CAN act. Rentals of My Family, Out Of Sight and most especially, Selena will show anyone who says she can't just how ignorant they've been.
I'm not into her music at all, it's just not my kind of music, and I still haven't quite gotten over the fact that she went out with Puffy, but damn, she's been very good in some very good films.
Shame about Enough though. I have no interest in seeing it in the theater, no matter how much I like her.

This thread popped the following into my head, for what it's worth... a celeb limo driver (i.e he wasn't a celebrity himself but he drove them around) was featured in a newspaper article down here last week, as he had recently published a book where he tells interesting stories about his various famous clients. He was Mick Jagger's driver for many years, drove Madonna, drove dozens of actors and pop stars etc. etc. Anyway, at the end of an interview with him a journalist asked which were his favourite and least favourite celebs to drive. His least favourite was Madonna - he said she was extremely rude, cold and barely said a word to him. His favourite was Gloria Estefan - she was very friendly and, when being driven to a nice restaurant, refused to let him sit in the car and eat by himself (as he usually did with other jobs), instead requesting that he join her and her husband for a chat over dinner inside. What a nice gal.

That said, I can take or leave the acting and singing of Ms. Lopez, but she does have an amazing ass.

Im have been a huge gloria estefan fan ever since I was around 7 or 8 id say, back in 1990 when I was 7 I was just getting into liking her me and my parents were going to see her in Columbus, Ohio and well 2 days before the concert was when she had the bus accident. Im not sure if a lot of people realize it but her doctors told her that her performing days were over but she would be able to walk again. Well 1 week before the 1st year anniversary of the bus accident gloria kicked off her 14 month world tour in Miami. Ever since Ive been fed up with her, mostly because of her personality and the way she carries herself, she is a real normal person, you can see that yourself and from the people around her and from the people that have met her.

Most people I see are always calling her music Latin Queen like shes just a Latin artist, Gloria started out with the Miami Sound Machine back in 1976, the group was started by Emilio Estefan later on became her husband in 1980. But a lot of people dont realize that the Miami Sound Machine had 7 albums before they became popular in the United States. They were very well known through out South and Central America. They always covered English and Spanish Songs on these albums so it was not like they just did Spanish language music. She came from Cuba when she was 2 yrs old and has lived in Miami all of her life so she was as American as any. She was very well educated, started at the University of Miami with a Major in Psychology and Minored in French. Spent 3 years in college graduated when she was a Junior because she had extra credits from High School that allowed her to graduate earlier.

She never planned on the Music business until Emilio got her into the scene and he is the one that started the whole thing from the beginning. In 1984 they came out with A Toda Maquina there biggest Spanish album that had 2 cuts in English one track was called Dr. Beat. Dr. Beat was put on the B Side of a single and became popular very fast in Europe. MSM then recorded their first English album, which was basically the english version of A Toda Maquina called Eyes Of Innocence.

Dr.Beat was a huge hit in the UK and Europe, but not well known in the US. They made it big in the US in '85 with Conga which set a record on the Billboard Charts with 1 song in the Top 10 on 5 or 6 different charts at one time. Later hits followed Conga like, Bad Boy, Words Get In The Way, Falling In Love (Uh-Oh). 1987 was a huge year, then band went from Miami Sound Machine to Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine. They came out with Let It Loose which produced such hits, Rhythm Is Gonna Get You, 123, the #1 Hit Anything For You, Can't Stay Away From You, and Betcha Say That.

They were a hit worldwide, selling huge amounts in Japan, Latin America, but the album started off slow in the UK, and Europe. The single Anything For You did very well in these countries so they pulled the album and releaed it and reissued it with another title and different cover "Anything For You" (also was reissued in Australia)went #1 on the UK and spent a number of weeks on top.

Let It Loose spent 97 straight weeks on Billboard Top 100 albums charts here in the United States. 1989 was a bigger year with the release of Cuts Both Ways and Gloria's first solo album, still known as Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine but the album was released with her name only. This album produced the #1 hit Don't Wanna Lose You, and the Spanish version went #1 on the Latin Chart Si Voy A Perderte, other hits included Get On Your Feet, Oye Mi Canto, Cuts Both Ways, Here We Are. They group won there first American Music Award for best Duo Group in 89 and Gloria was nominated for a Grammy for Don't Wanna Lose You.

Later albums were Into The Light in 1991, the album after the bus accident with such hits as the #1 hit Coming Out Of The Dark along with the #1 Spanish version Desde La Oscuridad, other hits were Cant Forget You, Live For Loving You, Seal Our Fate.

Up to that point Eyes Of Innocence was Gold selling over 500,000 units, Primitive Love 3x Platinum (3 million units), Let It Loose (3x Plat), Cuts Both Ways (3x Plat) and Into The Light (2x Platinum)

Greatest Hits was released in 92 with top hits Always Tomorrow (which all proceeds of the Single went to the Hurricane Relief fund started by Gloria after Hurricane Andrew in Miami and planed a benefit concert raising over 2 million dollars, gloria helped support the local community spending alot of time out passing out food and clothes to whoever needed)

1993 brought Mi Tierra, her 1st spanish album, it was an all original songs with the Cuban influence from the '30's and '40's. Mi Tierra was one of the first Spanish songs to be played on English radio and English Music Channels in the United States, and did well on the charts. Selling over 1 million in the US so far and was Spains biggest selling album of all time had success in the UK opening up a new door to the Spanish market. The album one her first Grammy.

Christmas Through Your Eyes was her first Holiday album also released in 93, 94 brought the classics album Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me with such hits as Turn The Beat Around, It's Too Late, Everlasting Love. album sold went (2x Plat) in the US. 1995 brought the second Spanish Release, Abriendo Puertas won her 2nd Grammy award for the album and the album went Gold in the US

1996 brought gloria back on the road with the Evolution Tour, it was one of the biggest world tours that 1996/1997. Destiny was released in 1996 which included the theme to the 1996 Olympics Reach, other hits where You'll Be Mine (Party Time), Im Not Giving You Up, Higher and No Pretendo. The album has sold over 1 million units in the US, Received a Grammy Nomination for Reach, and won her 2nd World Music Award in 97

1998 came the dance album Gloria! with hits Heaven's What I Feel, the spanish version Corazon Prohibido, Oye, Don't Let This Moment End. Has reached Gold status in the US, and became another one of Spain's biggest sellers. 3 Grammy Nominations come from this Album.

1999 came her first Movie, Music Of The Heart which included the #1 song with Nsync Music Of My Heart. Started the year 2000 with the Millennium Concert in Miami opening the brand new American Airlines Arena.

2000 came her third spanish album Alma Caribena: Caribbean Soul and third grammy award, and produced such hits as No Me Dejes De Querer, Como Me Duele Perderte, Tres Gotas De Agua Bendita (duet with Celia Cruz) and Tengo Que Decirte Algo (duet with Jose Feliciano) the album has sold over 500,000 units in the US

2001 she received the American Music Award Lifetime Achievement Award and came her second Greatest Hits album, with 2 new hit singles You Cant Walk Away From Love theme song to the movie Original Sin with Angelina Jolie. and the dance hit Out Of Nowhere and came another grammy nomination for the song.

Gloria will release her new english album in September 2003, it will be a different type sound a pop rock, collaborated with some of Sting's band for this album.

Shes had a pretty good career so far. If you get a chance to see her in concert go its one awesome show.Many people think that she left the Miami Sound Machine but thats not the case shes still has the same band members since the late 80's so theres still a Miami Sound Machine. Go see Gloria and MSM its an awesome night.

Check out the Evolution Tour Live In Miami DVD for some awesome 5.1 Surround Sound. its a great video.

Gloria is not just a Latin artist, I hear that a lot she is but majority of her music has been in English. Shes a Latin Pop Queen I guess.

Her Greatest Hits album was released in December on Multichannel 5.1 surround sound I think its awesome. Check it out along with Alma Caribena Stereo SACD

I dont know why anyone wouldnt have respect for this women shes one hell of a person and one hell of a performer

I thought I was the only one who sees through these posers who are being passed off as musicians.The songs they sing are usually written and produced by a handful of people sung by the pretty packages to be sond to the young masses who have very little concept about what real musical talent is. This procedure has been going on in the music business for a long time but I feel it's really gotten out of control within the last 15 years. Nowadays if the female singer doesn't look young,thin and sexy ,she probably won't last long. They don't even have to have that great of a voice as long as they show some skin and bump and grind.Gloria Estafen blows the doors off any of these posers I've seen and heard within the past 10 years.

Jenny from the block is in my top 5 most hated songs of all time. She is no better than the countless rap stars who feel the need to always flaunt their "bling bling" in their songs.

In my opinion, Jennifer Lopez can act. Before she became "J Lo", I thought she did a good job in "Selina" and especially "U-Turn" (great movie!). I even enjoyed her in "Out of Sight". I really used to like her as an actress when she wasn't plastered everywhere. The problem now, is that as "J Lo", she seems more interested on being a power-entertainer. As a muscician she is not that great but in both the music she does and the movies she stars in now, she seems to be more interested in name recognition, fame, and fortune than the serious craft of either music or acting. I don't think she would play a role today like the one she did in U-Turn.

Great post Wes. Gloria deserves respect in every way.

I don't have a problem with Jennifer Lopez's music, I certainly wouldn't call it Latin as Philip, Mike, and Mitty already pointed out. Her acting on the other hand is very good. She is one of our top actresses and we still haven't seen her at her best.

"Is anyone else fed up?"

Her face is everywhere. I cant stand looking at her anymore.